But Calhoun County Circuit Court Judge Sarah Lincoln said, though she has faced murderers and rapists, Schug was "possibly the most evil person who has ever been in this courtroom."

"You were attempting to kill him slowly," Lincoln said. "Had you wanted to kill this child you could have done it quicker and more painless but you subjected him to months, if not years, of prolonged suffering."

Doctors said the boy, then 4, was lethargic, emaciated and nearly dead when Schug took him to a hospital on March 22, 2017. She told doctors he was not eating.

Police say his feet were bound and he was forced to urinate and defecate on himself. Prosecutors say the child lost several toes to gangrene and had open sores.

Chief Assistant Calhoun County Prosecutor Daniel Buscher said he was stunned by pictures of the child.

"When I first saw the pictures, I mentioned to the detective that I thought, 'This wasn't a homicide?'" Buscher said. "I have never seen anyone abused to such an extent before that hadn't been dead."

Michelle Woodard has been fostering the child and plans to adopt him.

"He is a beautiful little boy who connected with us and smiled and jumped into my arms when we first met and called me mom," she told the judge. "He had the brightest smile and just wants to be shown love and affection."

Woodard said the boy has struggled to recover from his abuse. She said he hoarded food and that someone had to be tasked with watching him while he ate to make sure he didn't choke.

While he has made progress, he still sometimes become enraged and tries to hurt himself and others.

Schug’s boyfriend, 36-year-old Isaac Miller, also has been charged with child abuse. Miller pleaded no contest and is expected to be sentenced on July 2.